Ceiling and wall construction



June 12, 1934. PFLUEGER 1,962,648

CEILING AND WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 28. 1951 F'Ysfd INVENTOR. 77mm) L. PFLUEGER.

Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to construction of ceilings and walls of rooms and the object of the invention is to provide a special construction whereby illuminated effects are secured, also whereby elaborate designs may be carried out and the illuminated effects may be of varied or changing colors. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

The invention is principally adapted for the ceilings of theaters, large halls and rooms for public gatherings, where unusual lighting and color effects are desired, and it has also been applied with success to the side walls of large public rooms.

Briefly described, the invention comprises suspending or supporting at about five to ten feet below the ceiling a complete network of vertically arranged thin metal plates spaced a few inches apart and arranged in fantastic designs of any description. This network of thin plates may extend across the entire ceiling, though around the margins of the ceiling dead wall recesses may be provided in which are rows of colored electric lights directed at an angle upward against the real ceiling or other reflective surface above the network so that the colored glow from the upper ceiling will be reflected downwardly through the network of metal platesand be broken up into the design carried out by the plates.

The concealed electric lights are variously colored and operated by different switches from some concealed point below, though in theater installations and other large rooms it is con-.

templated that automatic change switch mechanism be used to gradually turn off one set of colors and turn on another for various periods of time, but as such automatic switch apparatus has been fully developed for electric sign operation and is readily available for use with my ceiling lights no detail will be shown here, and the drawing and description will be confined tothe ceiling or wall construction.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of one design of the network of ceiling plates, or it may be considered to be the side elevation of a network of side wall plates, as either construction would look the same, and in case of the ceiling it extends substantially over the area thereof.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the ceiling construction of a large room showing the network of plates suspended below and the rows of electric lights concealed in the dead wall space.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the suspension strap used at' many places over the network at the juncture of several of the plates.

Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 3 as seen from the line 3-3 thereof.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a fragment of network applied to a side wall.

Fig. 7 shows the lights carried by the net-' work. I

In further detail the drawing shows the usual ceiling 1 of a room secured to ceiling beams or rafters 2, and which ceiling and beams may be of any desired construction. Spaced some distance below the ceiling 1 is a false ceiling 3 made of a large number of thin plates or fins, preferably thin galvanized iron, though aluminum or stainless steel plates will make an attractive ceiling where the expense is not pro-.

hibitive. These plates are preferably about a foot in depth and are arranged from about four to ten inches apart in every manner of fantastic design, a portion of one of which is indicated in Fig. l, and the points of juncture of the plates are firmly secured together, either by soldering, welding, or riveting, so that the entire network forms a unit which is preferably suspended at a great many points from the rafters or other supporting beams arranged for the purpose by hangers of wires or rods 4, though if desired this network of plates may be supported by beams running through it or below it.

To avoid obstructing the reflection of light by the very many hangers required, the connections to the network of plates is made at the juncture of several plates 3 by sheet metal straps 5 which are bent as at 5 to fit within the angle of the particular juncture of the network and secured to the platesby rivets 6, as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. These sheet metal straps 5 pass upward and over saddles 7 of wood or metal through a seating hole in which the wires 4 are looped as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the wires extending upward and around any supporting beam provided, and preferably over saddles 8.

The network extends, as stated, substantially over the entire ceiling area, except in the form shown in Fig. 2 whereon at least two opposite margins, or on the four margins of the ceiling, is a dead section 9 which provides a large concealed gallery or walkway below the upper ceiling 1 where a large number of electric lights -10 are arranged in one or more rows of alternating colors and where attendants may walk to adjust the lights if necessary. The lights are directed at an angle to throw their rays at the ceiling 1 or other reflective surface, which is preferably white so that it will reflect the light 5 downward through the network 3 and, as suggested, the different colors may be arranged for manual switching on in any desired combination or they may be automatically so switched on, but in any case the effect from below in a large theater of the elaborate design seen'through the vertical plates glowing in the deepest of reds, and changing to green, blue and purple, is one which is very impressive, and I believe is a decided novelty in the treatment of major ceiling spaces.

I have also applied the network of plates or fins to side Walls in large halls where the observers were kept some distance away, and in such installations instead of the strap hangers and wires used to suspend the network as for the ceiling construction, rigid arms or pipe braces 11 project horizontally from the side walls 12 of the building to support the network 3 as shown in Fig. 6, and in such application of the invention, especially if the observer can approach quite close, it is desirable to line the back of the network with sheets of translucent glass 13, or other translucent material, held in place by suitable clips not shown. This may i also be done on network suspended in low ceiling room if desired as it aids in preventing the source of light being seen.

The reflecting ceiling designated 1 in the drawing may, if desired, be formed of any light sheets of metal or other reflective surface, or it may be the whitened permanent construction ceiling of the building.

Instead of the electric lights being concealed in the galleries or dead wall, margins of the ceiling they may be carried on the network of plates and directed upward as shown in Fig. 7 wherein the network is designated 3', the electric lights 10 provided with reflectors throwing the light up for reflection from the reflec-' tive ceiling 1.

In considering niy invention it should be noted that it contemplates a network of thin sheets on edge covering great ceiling and wall areas formed into a design with the plates running in every conceivable angle and curved path supported away from a reflective ceiling from which -is projected artificial illumination so as to outline the design in color.

I claim:

1. The ceiling or wall construction comprising a network of thin plates arranged edgewise to the ceiling or wall respectively and joined to form an artistic design, means supporting said network spaced from said ceiling or wall, means forming a lamp-concealing recess, lamps in said recess directed to project their rays against the ceiling or wall for reflection throughsaid network into the room.

2. The ceiling or wall construction comprising a network of thin plates arranged edgewise to the ceiling or wall respectively and joined to form an artistic design, means supporting said network spaced from said ceiling or wall, a marginal false ceiling forming a light gallery along the, edge of said network, and artificial illuminating means within said gallery for lighting up the space between said network and ceiling or wall.

3. Ceiling construction comprising a horizontal network of thin vertically arranged plates extending horizontally in various angles to form an artistic design by transmitted light, said network extending over the desired ceiling area, means suspending the network spaced below the ceiling, means forming an opaque margin along the edge of the network, and lighting means above said opaque margin arranged to illuminate said ceiling for reflection downward through said network.

e. Ceilin construction comprising a horizon tal network of thin vertically arranged plates extending horizontally in various angles to form an artistic design by transmitted light, said network; extending over the desired ceiling area, means suspending the network spaced below the ceiling, means forming light galleries along theedges of said network, and electric lighting means in said galleries directing its light against the ceiling for reflection downwardly through said network.

5. Ceiling construction comprising a horizontal network of thin vertically arranged plates extending horizontally in various angles to form an artistic design ,by transmitted light, said network extending over the desired ceiling area, means suspending the network spaced below the ceiling, means forming light galleries along the edges of said network, and electric lighting means in said galleries arranged for directing variously colored light against the ceiling for reflection downwardly through said network.

6. Ceiling or wall construction comprising a network of thin plates arranged edgewise to the ceiling or wall respectively and joined to form an artistic design, means supporting said network spaced from the ceiling or wall respectively, a plurality of light sources provided with individual reflectors arranged and adapted to reflect the light against the ceiling or wall at an angle whereby the rays of light reflected from the ceiling or wall respectively will strike the sides of the plates forming the networkfor reflection into the room TIMOTHY L. PFLUEGER. 

